


Your hand in mine, we walk the miles

by ArielAquarial



Series: Family of Three [21]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Castiel is Claire Novak's Parent, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Honeymoon, M/M, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:13:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22453231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielAquarial/pseuds/ArielAquarial
Summary: With the big day finally there, Dean is more than ready to walk down that aisle and marry Cas.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Series: Family of Three [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1127873
Comments: 22
Kudos: 154





	Your hand in mine, we walk the miles

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from "Thank You" by Led Zepplin.
> 
> They had their honeymoon in Mexico because I had mine there! Because of this, I have a few pictures at the end of the fic of their room, the view off the balcony, a beach, and even the crappy car they rented!

Dean woke up in the early hours of the morning. He could tell it was early because his goddamn brother was still snoring like a chainsaw in the bed beside him, and Sam was usually up by six am. How Jess dealt with the noise coming out of that man’s mouth, he’d never know. She was a fucking saint for not murdering him in his sleep.

  
  


He rolled over, adjusting his pillow, and trying again for a few more winks, but he knew sleep wouldn’t come. Already, his heart began to pound in his chest as the full weight of what he was about to do pressed in on him. He wasn’t having second thoughts, he knew in his heart that he was doing the right thing, but the anxiety of taking such a big step was becoming hard to ignore. Dean threw the blankets off of himself and sat, rubbing his eyes and looking at the clock. It was 5:15 am, so he had the next forty-five minutes to himself.

Breakfast wouldn’t be open until six, and he wasn’t brave enough to try and text Charlie for an early morning chat, so he got out of bed, grabbed a cotton robe from the bathroom, and stepped out onto the balcony.

The sun hadn’t even begun to rise yet and wouldn’t for another hour, so he leaned up against the rails and watched the few cars go by on the street below. He stayed like that for a few minutes until the cold started seeping into him. With nothing better to do, he crawled back into bed and went on Instagram. Cas added him to his reenacting account months ago, letting him take charge of any interactions with followers, so he took a few minutes to read messages and reply to comments. He didn’t usually bother going through the stories since he really wasn’t interested in the hobby other than supporting his fiancé — very soon to be husband — but it took him less than five minutes on the account to see that Cas had uploaded a story.

Curious, he clicked on it and waited for it to load. It was just a short video of the night sky, taken from a very familiar-looking balcony. He checked the time stamp and was surprised to see that it was uploaded only ten minutes ago.

Cas was awake?

He let his finger hover over the call button for a few seconds before letting a breath out and calling his fiancé. Cas always had his phone on vibrate at night, so if he had fallen back to sleep Dean wouldn’t get in trouble for waking him up.

“Hello?”

Dean sighed in relief. “Cas…”

“It’s early, love. Is everything ok?”

“Just nerves,” he admitted.

“I see.” He let out a sigh. “Me too.”

God, he hated this. “Listen, I know we’re not supposed to see each other before the wedding, but—”

“Yes.”

“Yeah?”

“Please. Get your ass up to my room.”

His tension released and he deflated like a balloon. “See you in a few.”

Dean slipped on his sneakers and grabbed his key, not even bothering to leave a note for Sammy before leaving. If Sam couldn’t figure out where he ran off to, then it wasn’t his fault. Cas was on the other side of the hotel, so it took a few minutes to make the trek, but soon enough he was knocking lightly on Cas’s door.

It was only a few seconds before the door was opened, and he was greeted by Cas’s smiling face. “Dean, get in here.”

He fell into Cas’s arms, soaking up his scent. Cas ran his fingers through his hair, letting his nails scrape over the nape of his neck and penguin walked backward, never letting go of Dean, and closed the door softly behind them.

  
“Claire’s still sleeping, so we need to keep quiet.”

  
He peeked over Cas’s shoulder and saw Claire tangled in a pile of blankets on the second bed. “You got a double?”

“I thought I’d get a better night’s sleep that way, but I was wrong. I missed you too much.”

“What time is Gabriel coming to get you?”

  
“Around nine, I think. You’d never catch him dead any earlier than that.”

  
“Thank god.” Dean took Cas’s hand and led him to the bed. “I just want to get back into bed. Sam’s damn snoring is ruining my beauty sleep.”

“You’ll be beautiful no matter how many hours you sleep.”

  
A shy smile wormed its way onto his face. “Shut up.”

  
“Never.”

“How was your night?”

Cas shrugged. “We spent most of it watching cartoons and ordering room service. You?”

“Sam had me doing face masks and talking about our feelings. Weird fucking way to bond with your brother, if you ask me.”

“But you love face masks.”

“Yeah, but I’m not going to let him know that…”

“You’re a ridiculous man.”

“But you love me.”

“Of course, Dean.

“You don’t mind if I hide in here, do you? I didn’t even leave a note for Sam before I left.”

“God no. Besides, I bet this will be the first place Sam looks for you, well… perhaps after he checks the continental breakfast.” Cas shuffled his bare feet to the bed and gestured for Dean to join him. “You getting in?”

“Hell yeah.” Dean shimmied under the blanket and got into his usual sleeping position — back to back, with their feet the only connected parts of their bodies. Given the way his entire body relaxed the moment his skin touched Cas’s, he’d have no problem going to sleep.

Cas sighed in happiness. “Even though I’m nervous about today, I’m really looking forward to being married to you.”

“Me too.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

Dean closed his eyes, finally relaxed and back with his favorite person in the world. He yawned, ready to sleep until a thought floated through his head.

“Hey, Cas?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t mind that we didn’t write our own vows, do you?”

“Of course not. I know you’re not a big fan of public declarations of love. Besides, our officiant is going to recite some, so I don’t think it will feel strange.”

“Was that something you wanted, though?”

Cas was quiet for a moment. “Not really. I exchanged vows at my first wedding, you know. After the way things ended, it didn’t seem necessary.”

“Good. Sorry I’m emotionally constipated.”

“Did Sam tell you that? Don’t listen to your brother. I don’t need you to shout it to the world, and I’m  _ not  _ going to torture you on our wedding day.”

“Sam can suck my ass, then.”

“Go to bed, Dean.”

“Night, Cas.” He let out a yawn, sleepiness already starting to fog his mind. “Love you.”

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

“—and my tie won’t fucking stay straight! This is complete bullshit, and—”

“Relax, Dean.” Sam cut in, silencing Dean’s nervous ranting. “You were at the rehearsals, you know where to stand, and how fast to walk. You’ll be fine.”

“I’m going to fuck it up.”

“So what?”

“What do you mean, ‘So what?’ I’m going to fuck the whole thing up, and—”

“And, what? Cas isn’t going to want to marry you anymore?”

“Don’t be stupid, of course Cas is still going to marry me.”

  
“Then I don’t see the big deal. Cas is still going to marry you, so if you fuck it up, you two can just laugh it off later.”

“I won’t be laughing,” he muttered. 

“You will, trust me.” He knocked Dean’s hands out of the way and adjusted his tie. “I got so nervous that I completely messed up my vows — which is probably the most important part of the ceremony. Sure, I was embarrassed at the time, but we laugh at it now. You’re not even doing them, so I doubt whatever you do would be as bad as my fuck up.”

“I don’t even remember you messing anything up.”

“Yeah, you were too busy crying.”

“I had something in my eye, ok?”

Sam gave the tie one final tug and stepped away to admire his work. “You finally look presentable.”

  
“Fuck off.” Dean looked at his watch and immediately wanted to throw up. “Shit. It’s almost time.”

Sam pulled out his phone and bit his lip. “Jess wants us to be downstairs in fifteen minutes. Do we have everything?”

“I think so.”

“Shoes? Cufflinks?” he glanced around the room. “Shit, where's your boutonniere?”

“Minifridge. Can you pin it for me?”

Sam grabbed the flowers and pin before coming at him with a look that didn’t instill much confidence. “Now, I’ve never done this before, but…”

Dean took a hasty step back. “Don’t stab me with that pin, bitch.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Well, I won’t do it on purpose, jerk.”

Dean closed his eyes as Sam fiddled with the fabric next to his lapel, readying himself to be stabbed in the nipple. Thankfully, Sam withdrew, and Dean was able to open his eyes and see a boutonniere pinned mostly straight onto his suit coat. He moved over to the full-length mirror and scrutinized himself, looking for anything that needed adjusting before he headed downstairs. The chandelier hanging in the middle of the bridal suite cast a glow over his navy suit, bringing out the subtle check pattern that adorned the fabric. His tie, which Sam had fixed perfectly, was a pop of color — blue silk in a simple pattern. His hair had been parted and gelled, slicked down neatly with just the right amount of volume in the front. He looked amazing, and he wasn’t afraid of telling his brother.

“Yeah, you do,” Sam agreed, stepping beside him and fiddling with his hair. His brother was in a navy suit, almost matching Dean’s but with none of the patterns. Where Dean had a blue tie, Sam was sporting a cream one that Dean knew matched Charlie’s and Jess’s dresses perfectly. “Bet you can’t wait to see Cas.”

Dean had no idea what the man was going to wear, or even how he was styling himself, only that his suit would complement Dean’s, and he’d also be wearing a blue tie. He really hoped that Cas kept the bedhead, or if he styled it that he kept it at least a little ruffled.

“Jess just sent me a text, we gotta go.”

Dean took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ok, let’s go get married.”

  
Sam snorted and led him out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. “Remember, we’re entering from the left side, and Cas is coming out on the right.”

“Yeah, I know. We’re meeting in the middle and walking to the altar together. We did it a million times, ok? Shut the fuck up, you’re making me nervous.”

Wisely, Sam snapped his mouth shut.

They went to the lobby and collected Jess from Charlie's grasp, both looking beautiful with curled hair and floor-length cream-colored dresses. “Oh, Dean, You look so handsome!”

He blushed at her compliment. “Thanks.”

She pulled him to the side door, leaving the main house. “Come on, Cas’ll be down any minute and I don’t want you to see him before the ceremony starts. I already peeked outside and everyone is in their seats, so we can start soon. Remember, Sam and I are going first, and then once the next song starts, you turn the corner. I can’t wait for you to see Cas for the first time! I bet you’re going to cry.”

“I second that,” Sam added, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “He’s going to cry like a baby.”

“Shut up, Sam,” he grumbled. “This is my day, alright? Quit giving me shit.”

“Hell yeah, it’s your big day. You two are going to get married, and have an awesome honeymoon.”

“Thank you, again, for taking Claire for a week. Seriously, you’re the best.”

“You owe us,” Sam threatened, his smile giving him away immediately. “Don’t worry about her. I’ll take her to the zoo and read her books. She’s going to come back even smarter than you.”

Dean’s snarky reply was cut off by the sound of soft music playing. Sam gave his brother a hug before adjusting his suit one last time. The employee gestured for Sam, waited for the signal, and waved him forward. With a smirk at his brother, Sam walked away, leaving Dean with Jess. He counted to five in his head, knowing that by then Sam would be meeting with Gabe and heading down the aisle to stand beside the altar. Jess cursed under her breath and grabbed her bouquet, straightening up waiting for her turn. After a few more seconds, Jess was gone too. In his mind, he pictured her strutting down the walkway and meeting Charlie in the middle before heading towards the altar where they would wait.

He stepped forward, heart in his throat, and tried not to throw up. For some reason, when he’d done this at the rehearsal, he’d been fine. He walked around that corner, met up with Cas, and with clasped hands, they’d walked towards the officiant. Hell, he’d even pissed Cas off by cracking jokes the entire way down the aisle. Now? He wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing needed to be called off because he had a heart attack halfway to the altar.

But time doesn’t actually stop, and before Dean could catch his breath, he was being led around the corner and given a gentle shove forward. He stumbled a step and turned automatically, breathing quickly and already starting to sweat. His heart was about to jump out of his chest, and his face was turning red, and everyone was watching him, and—

Cas rounded the corner and began his slow measured steps towards Dean, and suddenly his breath caught. Cas looked like a dream. His beige suit complemented his tan skin perfectly, and his blue tie was so similar to the one he wore to work most days, that Dean was immediately put at ease. It was Cas on the other side. His best friend. The love of his life.

A tingle started behind his eyes and he knew that he was going to start crying. He gave a valiant sniff and began his slow walk to Cas, who smiled and blushed at the sight of Dean in his suit. It only took five more steps for Cas to be right in front of him, his eyes shining and his lips pressed together in a tight line. Dean wanted to say something, anything. ‘You look amazing,’ or ‘Oh god, I can’t wait to marry you,’ but all that came out was a breathless “Hi.”

Cas chuckled and took Dean’s hand before turning and pulling him towards the altar. “Hello, Dean.”

Dean locked eyes with his smiling brother. Sam had tears streaming down his face, and Jess’s hand clutched in his. Charlie and Gabe weren’t doing much better, by the looks of it. Then he saw Claire standing by Sam, with a bouquet of flowers in her hands and a flower crown on her head. Unconcerned with the wedding going on around her, she was more interested in picking petals off of the pink roses. With Cas’s grounding grip, they walked hand in hand to the altar, stopping to face each other as they stood under the arch.

The next bit was a blur. He tried to listen to what the officiant was saying, but then he would lock eyes with Cas and he was gone. All he could focus on was Cas’s smile as he stared back at Dean. A deep feeling of  _ rightness _ settled in Dean’s gut, and all his worries disappeared.

  
Suddenly, Cas was talking. “Dean, I take you as my husband, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life."

Then it was Dean’s turn to repeat after the officiant. “Castiel, I take you as my husband, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life."

He leaned in and kissed his husband, the backdrop of cheers barely registering in his ears.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Taking pictures had been hell.

_ “Tilt your head.” _

_ “Hold hands, please, and don’t smile.” _

_ “Let’s get the Winchesters with the newlyweds.” _

_ “Sam, can you stand in the back? You’re too tall.” _

_ “Now, everyone look at the newlyweds while they kiss.” _

_ “Dean, please stop making that face.” _

_ “Now, look at each other and smile. Great!” _

_ “Slight turn to the left  _ — _ no, Dean, you’re other left!” _

Pose after pose, with no break in between while their guests were enjoying cocktail hour and eating kabobs, mini quiches, and stuffed mushrooms. Oh god, his mouth was watering just thinking about.

He grumbled to Cas, hoping they could speed things up, but his husband was having none of it.

“When we’re old and gray, and our memories are fading, these are going to be the only things we have to look back on and remember this day. So, my dear husband… shut up and smile.”

Thankfully, the photos only took an hour, and after that they were led to the reception hall so they could make their grand entrance along with the wedding party. They had planned it so as soon as they walked in, they’d go directly into their first dance. Then, they’d say a little speech about how happy they were that everyone was there, have Sam and Gabe make their toast, and finally, eat. After Dean had a full stomach, they’d open the floor for dancing, and then him and Cas would cut the pie, stay for a bit longer, and then get the hell out of there. They had a hotel booked for the night, and then they’d taxi to the port the next morning and get onto their cruise ship.

It had taken him an entire month, but he had found a catering company willing to make burgers for them. That tasting had nearly been better than the one they did at Gabriel’s bakery.  _ Nearly _ . They were serving a plate of sliders, with a classic cheeseburger and a monstrosity topped with avocado, bacon, and grilled onions. The vegetarian option — and only at Sam’s insistence — was a full-sized veggie burger. Only three people had RSVP’d with that on their card. They’d be served with fries and a few thick slices of pickles.

He pushed all thoughts of food out of his head. It was his own fault he was so hungry. Sam had all but force-fed him breakfast, but with his stomach in knots, he’d only had a few bites of buttered toast. With the ceremony done, his hunger was back in full force.

His stomach growled loudly just as the photographer announced that they were done with the photos. She asked Cas if there were any more poses he wanted to take, but Cas declined and he could have cried in relief. All they had to do was make their entrance, have their dance, and after Sam’s and Gabe’s short speeches, he could  _ finally _ have some food. Cas would laugh at him if he knew what was going on in his mind.

They stood outside the doors to the reception hall for a few moments while the DJ explained that he needed the wedding party to be ‘excited’ and to ‘pump up the crowd’ for the groom’s entrance. Dean snorted and earned an elbow to the ribs. They watched as first Sam and Jess strutted in, followed shortly by Gabe and Charlie. They danced their way to the dance floor, arms in the air and smiles on their faces. Their wedding guests clapped and hooted, making lots of noise for the little show. The DJ started talking, getting the guests ready to greet the newlyweds.

“We’re just going to walk in, right?” he asked. “No weird dances or jumping up and down…”

Cas just turned to him and stared.

“No, baby,” he whined. “Don’t do this to me.”

“Can you at least look happy?”

“Of course! Are you kidding me? I’m fucking extatic! You’re way out of my league, babe.”

Cas smiled and shook his head at his husband. “Ok, then no dancing.”

“Thank god… ok, so we’re just walking in and—”

“—the couple of the hour… Castiel and Dean Novak!”

“Shit!” Dean cursed and stood to attention, pasting a smile on his face.

Cas started pulling him forward just as the reception workers opened the double door. “Just smile and wave.”

Dean did as he was told, and held up his hand to wave as their guest jumped to their feet and cheered for them. Cas steered him in, a hand on his lower back, and guided them to where their small wedding party was waiting at the center of the dance floor. They stopped and smiled at everyone, waiting for the applause to die down and for everyone to take their seats.

Once the DJ could be heard over the roar of applause, the opening strings of “Thank You” by Led Zeppelin began to play and their first dance was announced.

_ If the sun refused to shine _

_ I would still be loving you _

_ When mountains crumble to the sea _

_ There will still be you and me _

Dean had never been a dancer, so he thought that he’d feel stupid with fifty-ish sets of eyes on them while they just stand in the center of the dance floor and sway around a bit. But the moment Cas’s eyes met his and their hands were on each other, all worry fell to the wayside. He pulled Cas in and pressed their bodies flush together, barely leaving enough room between them for Cas to look him in the eye.

Cas smiled and mouthed ‘ _ I love you’ _ to him just as the chorus kicked in. Dean smiled back and let Cas take the lead, letting their feet carry them in a little circle. By the time the song was over and applause met his ears, he had almost forgotten that they had eyes on them.

Finally able to go to their table, they sat down and relaxed for the first time since Sam and Gabe had barged into Cas’s room and kicked Dean out just a little after 9 am. His feet were killing him and he was sure Cas’s feet weren’t doing much better if his pleased sigh was anything to go by. By some miracle, someone had scattered a handful of hershey kisses on their table, so Dean took the opportunity to shove a few into his mouth, completely ignoring the side-eye Cas was giving him.

He was just unwrapping his fourth treat when the music quieted, and their DJ announced the next spectacle. The toasts. Originally, his mom had wanted to give a speech in place of Dean’s father, but he’d shut that down real quick. There was no way he was going to let his mom get up and start going on and on about how cute of a baby he had been and whatever else she wanted to say. Neither of Cas’s parents cared much for public speeches, so they hadn’t really minded being left out. Unfortunately, there was no way to avoid the best man speech, and even more unfortunately… they had two best men between them.

Sam seemed to have drawn the short straw, and got to his feet before making his way to collect the microphone from the DJ.

“Dean banned me from telling embarrassing stories about him, so half my speech is gone.” He paused while his audience chuckled, smirking at Dean’s annoyed face. “Well, I was pretty surprised that Dean asked me to be his best man — or best brother, I guess. We didn’t always get along, you know. I’m sure most of you knows this, but we’re both pretty stubborn, and that didn’t always make for the best sibling relationship. We fought  _ a lot _ , and I can’t tell you how many times we both got grounded for throwing punches. Despite all of that, and all of the times we begged mom to give us seperate rooms, or when we tattles on each other… we were best friends. We did everything together. He’d make me go to the arcade with him, and I would drag him to the library. Dean uprooted his whole life and followed me to the west coast a few months after I got accepted to Stanford. No matter what we said to each other, or how many times we got into a fight, I never doubted that he loved me.

But even when we were fighting, Dean took care of me.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Damnit, I told myself I wasn’t going to cry. Ok…” he cleared his throat and chuckled wetly. “Um, wow. Sorry, everyone. Dean has always been there for me. Always. When I jumped off the roof because I thought I could fly, Dean was the one who covered for me. When I lost my shoe down the gutter — don’t ask — Dean was the one who gave me both his shoes and walked home barefoot so I wouldn’t have to. When I had nightmares, Dean’s bed was always open for me to crawl into. When Dad died… Dean was the one who took me to the nearest lake so we could go fishing and talk it out…” 

Dean wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t. Fucking hell, he wasn’t going to cry. Shit… he was crying. He reached up and wiped the moisture at his eyes, hoping that cutting it off before it got worse would somehow stop the torrent he could feel coming. It didn’t. The minute he wiped the moisture away, more came until the first tear spilled over, tracking down his face and over his freshly shaven skin. “Fuck.” 

A familiar hand grasped his under the table, strong and loving, and he squeezed it back.

“No matter what he would say, I knew — deep in my heart — that Dean loved me. No matter how annoyed he would get with me, I could always count on him. He’s loyal and dedicated, Cas. He’ll always have your back. Always. And Claire,” he turned to where she was settled nicely between Becky and Chuck, “the same goes to you. Dean will always be there for you.”

Tears streaming down his face, Dean leaned over to rest his head on his husband's shoulder. “Why did I think it was a good idea to let him do this?”

Cas hushed him in return, his eyes also beginning to tear up.

“I always knew that Dean was going to make someone very happy someday, and it looks like that’s you. Cas, he puts everything he has into his relationships. He’d go to the moon and back for you. He’ll try his hardest to never let you down, and he’ll do whatever he can to fix it if he does. Dean is an amazing man, and so are you. I’m so happy that you are now officially family. You are already an amazing brother to me, and an uncle for my two girls. I know that you two will be  _ very _ happy together. So, I want to end this speech with a toast.  I’d like you all to join me in wishing the newlyweds all the happiness in the world. To Cas and Dean.”

Dean got to his feet just as the guests began their applause and pulled his brother into a tight hug. Sam gripped him tightly in return and sniffed into his shoulder. “I love you, jerk.”

“Fuck…” he whispered. “Love ya too, bitch. You did good.  _ Really  _ good.”

He went back to his seat next to Cas, and wiped away the last of his tears. 

A few minutes later, it was Gabe’s turn.

Gabe smirked at the audience. “Well, conveniently for me, Castiel forgot to ban me from telling embarrassing stories…”

“Oh, god…” Cas muttered, covering his face while dozens of eyes swung his way in amusement.

“Where should I start? Well, I’m Gabriel, Castiel’s favorite brother—”

“Only brother!” Dean interrupted with a smirk.

Gabe ignored him “—and we all know what  _ me  _ being his best man means… Cassie needs more friends.” He paused and let everyone laugh for a few moments. “Now, I’ve been around for Cas’s whole life, so that means I have some great stories for all of you. Hey, Cas… remember the time you broke my nose with mom’s rolling pin? Oh, man. That’s a good story, guys. Ask me about that later. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. I have a few stories about him that I actually  _ can _ share with everyone.

Cassie had always been a curious child — at least that’s what mom called it. I called it annoying. God, he couldn’t go five minutes without asking me a question, or getting mom to force me to go with him on some quest for knowledge. I spent way too much time in libraries, or in some park looking for bugs, or something equally disgusting. Oh, that reminds me… remember that time you were at the park catching frogs? Yeah, you do… mom was walking over and Cas wanted to hide the frog he caught. Do you know where he put it? He put it in his mouth!” Gabe cackled along with the audience. “Who does that? Geeze, Cas, you were a cute one. You wouldn’t believe how happy I was when Cas started focusing on history in high school. He went from lecturing me about bees, to talking about the golden age of sail and waistcoats.”

“This was such a bad idea.” Cas mumbled to himself. “I should have asked Charlie.”

“I’ll admit, he had me a little worried there. I was afraid he’d scare everyone away and end up with fifteen cats. Now, ten years later, he has six chickens and a husband. Who would have thought?” Again, he paused for the audience to chuckle. “Dean came as a complete surprise to me. One day Cassie let it slip that he met someone — and trust me, he would have never told me on purpose. Cas hasn’t always brought home the best boyfriends. That’s  _ another _ story to ask me about later.

I’ve never told this to him before, but I look up to the kid. Literally, he’s a foot taller than me.” Dean snorted, despite himself. “Cassie is easy to get along with, hard working, and ambitious. Everything I’m not… So when I first met Dean, I wasn’t about to let some new guy into the family without knowing exactly who he was. But then I saw him walk into my bakery with Cas, holding Claire’s hand, and I knew right away that Dean was right for my brother. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and I could see that Dean loved him long before he ever told Cas.”

Cas was staring at his brother, surprise clear on his face at the way Gabriel’s speech had turned.

But, Gabriel wasn’t done. “He’s perfect for Cas. Dean doesn’t mind being lectured at for hours, he loves Claire just as much as I do, he cooks a mean burger, and he has amazing taste in baked goods. Hell, he even puts up with me. So, I can think of no one else that I’d rather have as a brother-in-law than Dean. Cheers to the new couple!”

Gabe gave the microphone back to the DJ and came at Cas with his arms spread and a grin on his face. “Come here, little bro. Give me some sugar.”

Cas stood to hug his brother. “That was surprisingly nice.”

“I’m a nice person!” Gabe shot back.

Cas looked to him for help, but Dean’s mind was far away. With the two best man speeches done, that meant dinner would be served.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

“Sam!” he hissed, grabbing his brother’s attention as he walked by. “Come here!”

“What’s up?”

Dean glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot. “I need you to get to the favor table and fill up  _ at least  _ three boxes of favors, and then put them in Baby for me.”

“Three?”

  
“Did I stutter?”

  
“Why don’t I just grab you one…”

He grabbed his brother’s arm as he turned to walk away. “No, three. I’m gonna put the pastries all over Cas’s naked body, and--”

“Dean!” he ripped his arm out of Dean’s grasp and took a big step away. “Fine, I’ll get you the boxes!”

  
Dean watched him go in satisfaction. Was he going to put mini pies all over Cas’s naked body and then eat them off of him? No, probably not. Would Sam stop asking questions and just get him the pastries? Hell yeah. He was worried that if he didn’t get his share of those pastries now, then he’d never get them. He and Cas would be leaving for their hotel room in less than an hour, leaving the cleanup to the venue’s staff. They were going to be gone for a week, on a cruise ship to Mexico, so any desserts would be long gone. You bet your ass at least one of those boxes was making it on the boat with them.

Cas appeared from the crowd, face red and beaded with sweat from exertion. “Dance with me!”

  
He allowed himself to be dragged onto the dance floor, everyone making way so the newlyweds could dance in the middle. Dean had never been a fan of dancing, but Cas looked so happy twirling on the dance floor that it was impossible for him to refuse. He pulled Cas into him and hooked his arm around the man’s waist, pressing together from shoulder to hip.

The pie had been served, so with nothing else on the to-do list for the newlyweds, they could dance the night away. Cas seemed ready to do just that. Surrounded by their friends and family, they swayed to the rhythm.

Too soon, Sam was pulling Cas and Dean off the dance floor. “It’s time for you two to go!”

“Already?”

Sam pointed at the DJ, who was giving him the wrap it up signal. “You only have the venue for another thirty minutes. Leave now, and everyone will start leaving too.”

Dean looked to Cas, who nodded his approval. “Ok, let’s get the hell out of here!”

The DJ faded the music and announced that the newlyweds were making their exit. The guests lined up at the door to see them off, creating a pathway that led straight to Baby. He’d told Sam and Gabe that he would literally kill them if they got even an ounce of decorative paint on her, and it looked like they complied. Instead, they tied cans to her bumper, which was still annoying, but marginally easier to deal with.

The guests were armed with little confetti poppers and as they jogged through the path, the guests popped them over their heads, raining confetti down on them. By the time they reached the car, they were covered in the stuff.

“Fuck.” Dean muttered as soon as he entered the safety of his car. “I think I got some of that shit in my ear.”

“Why did we go with confetti, again?”

“I think Claire picked it.”

“Of course she did.”

“She wanted us to release butterflies, but I was worried they’d attract birds and get eaten.”

“And then we’d get shit on.”

“That too.”

They pulled out of the lot, the cans dragging loudly behind them. As soon as they turned the corner, Dean pulled over and got out to cut them loose. With the noisemakers properly disposed of, he got back into the car and drove them the thirty minutes to their hotel. Once there, they checked in and dragged their feet all the way up to their room. It wasn’t that late, but they’d been on their feet all day and it was finally catching up to them.

The first thing he did when they entered the room, was toe off his shoes collapse into bed. “Rental shoes are the worst.”

“That’s why I wore my own shoes.”

Dean rolled over and squinted at his husband. “Well, not everyone is a sexy professor with shiny shoes and college students to impress.”

“Do they impress  _ you _ ?”

“Why don’t you put on your sweater vest and professor glasses, and we’ll find out.”

That surprised a laugh out of him. “I’m not indulging in your teacher fantasy.”

Dean pouted. “You’re no fun.”

Oh, god, he was exhausted — but Cas looked so hot loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt that he forced his eyes open just to watch the show. He could watch Cas undress all day, any day.

His husband let out a low groan and sat down on the edge of the bed so he could pull off his socks. “I want to take a shower.”

“Me too. I probably smell like armpit.”

“Too bad the hotel doesn’t have a tub. It would be nice to relax in one for a while.”

Dean hummed at the idea. “You ever fuck in a tub?”

“Not a  _ bathtub _ .”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “A hot tub?”

Cas just smirked at him before pulling his dress shirt out of his pants and discarding it on the floor. “You joining me or not?”

“Oh, I’m coming, and then  _ we’ll _ be coming… if you know what I mean.”

“That was ridiculous, Dean. You can do better than that.”

“Hey, I’m tired. You’re lucky I could even think of that one.”

Cas rolled his eyes and dropped his pants, leaving him standing in only his underwear. Despite his eyes barely staying open, Dean’s dick perked in interest. His husband turned to walk toward their bathroom, thumbing along the elastic above his ass. With one more backward glance, he pushed the fabric down, bending over to pull the underwear off completely, exposing his bare ass and just a hint of his balls peeking out from between his legs.

The spark of interest immediately turned into a halfie, and Dean scrambled to his feet, rushing to pull off his clothes before Cas could get too far into his shower. By the time Dean stumbled into the bathroom and threw the curtain open, Cas was already shampooing his hair. The man looked at him innocently, as if he didn’t know the trail of suds running down his chest wasn’t already doing things to Dean.

He stepped into the shower and slid behind Cas, pressing his body flush against Cas’s back. Dean grabbed the soap off the caddy and lathered it between his hands before running them over Cas’s chest starting at his collarbones. He brushed lightly over Cas’s nipples, lingering to swipe over and over again, feeling them pebble beneath his touch.

Cas sighed in pleasure and let his head hang under the water, rinsing the suds out of his hair. When he was done, he turned and began lathering Dean’s hair with shampoo, cleaning out the pounds of product Sam had saturated it with. Dean continued to work his soapy hands down Cas’s chest, dipping into his belly button, and stopping at his hips. He paused to switch positions, placing himself under the showerhead and allowing Cas to wash his body in return.

Unlike Dean, Cas went straight for Dean’s dick, grasping it lightly and surprising Dean into letting out an unmanly squeal. He wiped the water out of his eyes and glared at Cas, but the man smirked in return. “What?”

“Save that for the bed, ok?” he grumbled, smacking Cas’s hand away from his dick. “We’re going to do this properly. First, we’re going to get clean, and  _ then _ we’re going to get dirty. In the bed, not this tiny shower. That’s just asking for an ER visit.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“I’m not taking the risk.”

“I could suck your dick, if you wanted…”

Dean paused to consider. “You’re being really mean right now. Let’s just shower, ok?”

“Fine.”

Dean shook his head at Cas’s pout. “Want me to finish cleaning you?”

Cas continued to glare for another moment before turning and presenting his back to Dean’s soapy hands. He ran his hands over Cas’s broad shoulders and down to his butt, gripping the flesh tightly before running his fingers down Cas’s crack. Cas stepped forward, out of the range of Dean’s questing fingers, and turned to glare over his shoulder. “I’ll do that.”

“Hey, I was just going to clean you, not finger you…”

“I’ll do it, Dean. Just finish cleaning and get ready.”

“Why can’t I do it?”

“Because you wouldn’t let me suck your dick, now hurry up.”

“Fine,” he grumbled, but quickly ran the soap over his body. Once he cleaned the bottom of his feet, he pulled the curtain back and closed it behind him. “But be quick.”

“Yes dear,” Cas called as Dean left the bathroom.

He flipped the bedside table lamp on and turned off the ceiling light, letting the soft yellow glow wash over the room. Next, he dropped his towel and jumped on the bed, uncaring that his legs were still damp, and waited for Cas to finish. Settling in, he fluffled his pillow and relaxed. Cas would be done any second, and while his body had calmed, he was sure he’d be up and ready to go any second.

Dean yawned and adjusted the pillow again. The damn thing was kind of flat, so he grabbed a second pillow and stacked them. He smiled to himself and relaxed further. After a few seconds, he felt a slight chill, and unwilling to be cold, he pulled the blanket over himself.

He yawned again and closed his eyes for a moment...

Dean opened his eyes to sunlight streaming through the space between the curtains, and an overwhelming feeling of heat. God, he was sweating, hard as a damn rock, and where the hell was his husband? He groaned and threw off the comforter, uncovering a head of dark hair situated comfortably between his legs.

“Cas?” he grumbled, brain still foggy from sleep.

Cas paused in his ministrations, Dean’s cock still in hand and Cas’s pink tongue still sticking out from where it had been licking him into hardness. “You fell asleep on me last night.”

“Shit,” he lifted his hips, nearly bumping his dick against Cas’s face, “don’t stop.”

Cas smirked and tongued at his balls, his blue eyes unwavering. Dean let his head fall back on the pillow while Cas got to work. At a particularly hard suck on the tip of his cock, he gasped and let his fingers run through Cas’s unruly locks, made even worse by the blanket he had been hiding under. He gripped the hair and tugged, a moan tumbling out of his lips when Cas hummed around his cock in appreciation. He did it again, this time using his tight grip to guide Cas’s head slowly up and down, giving him a chance to stop Dean if he wanted to. Cas gave another small hum, and that was all the permission he needed.

He held Cas still for a moment, the man’s mouth just at the tip, and spread his knees for him, giving him more room to work. Cas licked and sucked the single inch he was given, waiting patiently for Dean to adjust. When Dean finally guided his head down, Cas wasted no time in taking advantage of Dean’s spread legs.

Over the sound of Dean’s gasped breaths, he couldn’t hear the quiet  _ snick _ of the lube cap being popped open. What he  _ did  _ feel was the slick finger ghosting over his hole.

“Fuck…” he hissed, his body tensing automatically. “Were you hiding that under there?”

Cas made a noise around his cock and continued the long suction as Dean guided him up and down his slick dick. The finger came back, rubbing lightly over the furled muscle, and coaxing Dean to relax. With Cas’s head bobbing up and down his cock, it was hard to stay tense, so it only took half a minute for Cas to deem Dean ready for a bit of pressure. He groaned loudly when his finger slipped in, stopping half an inch before retreating and massaging his opening. Cas repeated the process over and over, a light swirling massage before dipping his finger into the muscle, going just a bit deeper each time.

By the time Cas’s whole finger was pushing in and out, he was covered in sweat and almost ready to cum. He popped off of Dean’s cock and smirked up at him. “Want to finish like this?”

Unable to think past the intense pleasure Cas was giving him, he nodded jerkily. “Don’t you dare stop.”   
  
Cas swallowed him down and crooked his finger up, nailing Dean’s prostate. He wailed, lifting his hips into the air and practically choking Cas. Dean stroked his unruly hair in apology, and tried to say something, but Cas had recovered and was back to taking Dean apart with his mouth.

Dean could feel his orgasm building, the pleasure notching up steadily until he had to breathe out a warning. “Cas, I’m gonna—”

Cas doubled down, blowing him quicker and keeping a steady pressure on his prostate. Dean held on for dear life, pulling Cas’s hair until he was surely causing the man pain, but Cas didn't stop. Dean’s legs locked up as he spilled down Cas’s throat, crying out in pleasure as his orgasm washed over him. Cas swallowed around him, taking everything Dean was giving him, slowing the steady pull of his mouth. He panted in exhaustion, barely even feeling the gentle suckling Cas was giving his softening member.

Just as it was becoming too much, Cas pulled off and smirked at Dean. “Good morning.”

Dean barked out a laugh, nearly hysterical. “Hell yeah, it was a good morning. Want me to return the favor?”

He grinned. “I’m already close. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to hear you like that. You know I love it when you’re loud.”

“Well, there’s no six year-old here, so we can be as loud as we want.”

“I’ll take that into consideration.” He got to his knees, remaining between Dean’s spread legs, and pushed his boxers down his hips, stopping just below his erect cock. He let out a sigh at the sensation of his hard cock bobbing in the air, and gripped the base tightly. Giving himself a tight channel to fuck into, he began the slow slide up and down his cock.

Dean watched him wide-eyed, not wanting to miss a single second of Cas squeezing a drop of precome out of his tip. He reached out and swiped his thumb across the liquid, and Cas hissed at the contact, his cock ready to burst. He made a show out of licking his thumb clean, eyelashes fluttering as he met Cas’s eyes. Despite how close he appeared, Cas kept his pace slow, moaning and groaning with every pass of his fist.

“Stop torturing yourself, babe. Come on me, already.”

“I want this to last…” he slurred, his head thrown back and his adam's apple bobbing. “This is our first time as a --Ah! Fuck!-- as a married couple.”

Dean moaned at the noise spilling out of his mouth and pushed himself up into a seated position so he could get an up close and personal view. Cas’s dick only inches from his face, be couldn’t stop himself from licking the head of his cock, moaning at the musky flavor. Cas gasped, his hand speeding up ever so slightly.

“Shit, you sound so hot.”

“I want to—” Cas couldn’t finish his sentence.

Dean, tired of waiting, grabbed his wrist and pulled it away, replacing Cas’s hand with his own. “Let me…”

He kept up Cas’s slow pace for a moment, bringing down Cas’s guard, before speeding the pace. Cas twitched his hips forward, thrusting into it, and called out Dean’s name.

“Gonna come on me?” Dean asked, watching Cas’s cock leak steadily as he pumped it. 

“Ah! I’m close!”

Dean looked Cas in the eye. “Wanna come on my face?”

That was all it took. Cas gasped in a breath and tensed, his cock spurting come onto his chin, covering his lips, and dripping down Dean’s naked chest. Dean waited until Cas’s eyes opened again before licking his lips slowly, gathering up some of the thick cum and moaning in pleasure. Cas fell forward, bracketing Dean with his arms, and let out a low curse. “That’s so goddamn hot…”

Dean chuckled in response. As much as he wanted to bask and cuddle with Cas, the cum was starting to cool, and there was no way he was going to let it sit on his face any longer. He pushed Cas off of him, ignoring the man’s grumble, and walked to the bathroom.

He ran the washcloth over his face, rinsed it out, and did it again. “God, that was awesome. We’re going to have to get a hotel more often…”

“It was great, but I didn’t get a chance to hold you. You better get that hot ass back to bed.”

Dean dried his face and did as Cas wished, climbing back into bed and curling into his arms. His husband squeezed him and leaned in for a kiss, capturing Dean’s lips in a slick slide. “Good morning, husband.”

Butterflies exploded in Dean’s chest. “Back at ya, husband.”

“God, that sounds nice.”

Dean made a sleepy noise of agreement. “It was worth all of the stress.”

“Yes, it was, and now I get to spend a whole week with you.”

“I can’t wait.”

Cas was quiet for a moment, his hand rubbing soothing circles over Dean’s skin. “I hate to say it… but I already miss the monkey.”

Dean let out a sigh of relief. He had been feeling the same, but didn’t want to bring down the mood. “Me too. How are we going to get through the week.”

A slow smirk appeared on Cas’s face. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

The safety briefing had been boring as hell, and Dean barely listened to the words coming out of the overhead speaker. If the ship was going to sink, he’d consider it his time to go. He’d relayed the thought to Cas, who pinched his arm in return and listened to the instructions even harder. The cruise ship employee stared at everyone, his face blank and already looking dead inside while he demonstrated and pointed to the safety equipment. Dean could relate.

After the longest twenty minutes of his life, they were finally allowed to go to their rooms. Both of their bags were waiting for them by the door, so they dragged them inside and stowed them in the small closet. The room was small, which was to be expected, but well organized and stocked with comfy furniture. Cas went straight for the sliding glass doors and threw them open before stepping onto the balcony and sighing happily.

“Dean, come here.”

He followed Cas to the balcony and leaned on the rails, glancing at the water sloshing against the ship below. A glance around showed that their balcony was separated from the others by a wall. “You think we could have sex out here?”

Cas turned to him and squinted. “Dean…”

“What? That was a serious question!”

“Unbelievable.” He turned on his heel and left Dean on the balcony.

“What?” He repeated, following Cas.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Dean looked at his plate, wide-eyed with amazement. A lobster tail, grilled shrimp, and sweet potato puree. “This place is magic.”

Cas nodded in agreement and twirled a fork through his mound of pasta carbonara. “This is always my favorite part of a cruise.”

“And when we’re done, we just walk out?”

“Yes. There’s no check to pay.”

“Magic,” he repeated, and picked up a piece of shrimp, gazing at it lovingly before eating it. “When we retire, we’ll be one of those couples that just live on a ship. Eat like this every day.”

“I can get behind that.”

He ate the shrimp with a pleased smile, leaving the lobster tail for last. When he was finally done with the shrimp and had eaten half of his sweet potato puree, he tried a bite of his lobster tail. Dean let out an indecent moan and finished it off within minutes. He sat back in his chair, staring at his plate dejectedly. God, what he wouldn’t give for another plate.

Their waitress, a perky brunette named Linsday, appeared at their table. “How is everything?”

“Best lobster I’ve ever had.” he answered immediately. So what if that was only the second time he’d tried lobster. “I’m sad it’s gone.”

She smiled at him. “Our chefs are all very talented. Is there anything else I can get you?”

“A dessert menu?” Cas asked.

“Of course.” she answered. “I’ll be back momentarily.”

Dean pushed his plate away, a pout on his face. “Do you think they’ll have this on the menu tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see. They do have a station serving indian food tomorrow afternoon, so we need to remember to stop there for lunch.”

“Eat a light breakfast. Got it.”

Their waitress reappeared a moment later, a plate in hand. Dean did a double take.

“Here you go, sir.” she placed the plate in front of him, and the butter covered lobster stared back at him. She turned to Cas, unaware that she had just rocked his world. “And your menu.”

“Am I hallucinating?” Dean asked, his eyes never leaving the lobster and shrimp plate. “Did she just give me a second dinner?”

“Yes, Dean. She did. Don’t get any ideas, alright? I don’t want you ordering extra food every night.”

“I can ask for another plate? And they’ll give it to me?” Dean asked in wonder. “Fuck, we’re giving her a good tip on Friday…”

Cas burst into laughter.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

“So, they’re just going to dance?”

“And sing.”

Dean sighed and looked around the auditorium. The lights were still on, and people were still finding their seats. He hadn’t wanted to go to the show, but one pleading look from his husband, and Dean was giving in. It might have had something to do with the promise of a blow job, but Dean probably would have agreed without it. Cas just had that effect on him. “Great.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine. Stop complaining.”

He sloughed in his seat grumpily. This was their second day in Cabo, and Dean had learned pretty quickly that it was nothing but a tourist trap. They couldn’t go ten feet out of the ship without dozens of people shouting at them about glass-bottom boat tours and promoting their clubs. They had wandered around a few shops, but soon lost interest. Since that afternoon, they occupied themselves on the ship, drinking beside the pool and fucking in thier room. Unfortunately, Cas had gotten his hands on the ships entertainment schedule, and had been dragging him to different events. It almost made him want to brave Cabo again.

Just when Dean was ready to get up and find himself a stiff drink, the lights dimmed and Dean was forced to remain sitting. Music began playing and dancers pranced onto stage, spinning and jumping with wide smiles.

Dean turned to Cas and saw the grin on his husbands face. Well, if Cas was enjoying it, then maybe he could stand to watch it for the next thirty minutes. His husband put up with a lot of shit to be with him, so it was the least he could do. A few minutes later, Dean had to admit that the show wasn’t half bad. Sure, it wasn’t exactly his thing, but even he could admit that the dancers were really talented. He watched as people leaped across the stage, before turning and leaping again, showing off their strength.

Slowly, he frowned. One of those guys looked familiar. A second later, it clicked.

“Cas,” he hissed, “is that the guy who gave us our safety demo?”

Cas squinted at the stage in confusion. Even Dean had to admit he barely remembered what the guy looked like and only had a vague recollection of red hair and an annoyed frown. “Actually, I think it is.” 

Theory confirmed, he started laughing and couldn’t stop. Even after Cas elbowed him in the ribs and shushed him, the laughter continued to bubble over. No wonder he looked so miserable! The poor guy was there to dance, and they had him giving safety drills. At least now he knew why the guy looked like he hated his life.

“Come on, Cas,” he whispered, “it’s funny. Admit it.”

He shook his head. “Ok, it’s a  _ little _ funny.”

“Goddamn right it is.” 

The man pirouetted off stage, and the sight of the gangly man looking so nimble triggered another bought of giggles. This time, Cas joined in. He ducked his head and chuckled into Dean’s neck, huffing hot air against his skin.

“Stop laughing!” he pleaded, but it just made Dean laugh even harder.

“Sorry! I’ll try!” Dean whispered back. He really did try, but in the next moment, the man leapt back onto the stage, and Dean began laughing all over again.

“I can’t take you anywhere, can I?”

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

Puerto Vallarta was completely different than Cabo. For starters, it was an actual town with a Walmart and everything. Immediately after disembarking from the ship, they hurried over to the rentals, hoping to nab a car before everyone got their hands on them. Thankfully, there was a tiny little honda civic waiting for them, and they paid for it immediately. Cas would never admit that Dean was the better driver, but he made no complaints when Dean climbed into the driver's seat.

“Where to?”

“I don’t know,” Cas answered. “Just drive.”

“That’s why I married you.”

They drove onto the cobblestone road and turned to drive along the coastline. They passed a small shop and bought sodas, diligently counting pesos in front of the bored looking cashier, and snickering at themselves on the way back to the car.

“My high school Spanish teacher will be happy to know I can still count to twenty.”

Dean laughed loudly, pulling their car back into traffic. “At least you can count! She said de-sais and I just froze!”

“Dieciséis,” Cas corrected.

“Yeah, whatever.”

They popped the caps and gulped down the liquid, groaning at the taste of cane sugar. “Oh, that’s good. Why don’t they use real sugar in the US?”

“You know, there is a hispanic market less than five minutes from where we live. I used to pick up marinated meats for tacos there all the time, and I  _ know _ they have these bottled sodas.”

“Huh. How come you never make  _ me _ tacos?”

“Dean, remember when I made nachos and the jalapenos in the cheese sauce nearly killed you?”

He blushed in embarrassment. “It went down the wrong pipe.”

“Sure it did.”

He turned up the radio, signaling that their conversation was done, and steadfastly ignored Cas’s satisfied smirk. They continued down the road, staring in wonder at the coastline just outside the passenger window. A few minutes into the drive, they saw a few cars pulled off on the shoulder. Guessing it was an area they could use to walk down to the beach, they pulled beside the cars and got out.

Both men had been living exclusively in swim shorts all week, so it was no bother to pull over and walk down to the shore. They hadn’t brought any towels, but that didn’t stop them from ditching their shirts and dropping onto the sand. There were only a few people around, and most were enjoying a walk instead of sunbathing. They lay side by side, arms thrown over their eyes, and touching from their shoulders to hips.

Cas rolled over and smiled at him. “I love you, Dean.”

He blushed, sure he’d never get used to Cas saying he loved him like that. “Love ya too, babe.”

They leaned in as one, their lips connecting softly and slotting together perfectly. Dean hummed into the kiss, letting his hand come up and cup Cas’s stubbled jaw. It stayed sweet and chaste, both knowing that if they took it any further, they’d have a situation in their revealing swim shorts. After a few minutes, Dean rested his head at the crook of Cas’s shoulder.

“How much more time do we have?”

Dean glanced at his phone. “Our scuba excursion is in two hours.”

“Good. Let’s stay here.”

Dean agreed wholeheartedly, and they spent the next hour lounging on the beach and relaxing under the summer sun.

**o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o**

As much fun as Dean was having keeping Cas all to himself, he was really looking forward to going home. He missed his job, he missed his chickens, and most of all, he missed Claire.

Sammy would be picking them up at the port and giving them a ride home where Claire would be waiting for them, and he couldn’t wait. He hadn’t heard much from them while they were on their cruise, but he blamed that on his crappy signal and not them. From what he gathered, they took her to all of their favorite after school haunts. The discovery center, a few museums, some crafting workshops, and a petting zoo. Cas and Dean were able to talk to her once on the second night, and she had seemed like she was doing great. Still, he missed her.

Sam’s Camry pulled to the curb and the trunk popped open. Already, Sam’s large form was unfolding itself from the front seat, a big smile on his face. He pulled Cas into his arms first, offering him a hearty pat on the back, and then moved on to Dean.

“How was the cruise?” Sam asked as soon as he released Dean from his hug.

“It was awesome,” Dean answered. “We’re glad to be back, though.”

“Looks like you two got a lot of sun!”

Dean stared at his arms and sighed. “Yeah, I think I have more freckles than when I left.”

Cas snatched his arm and brought it up to his mouth, laying kisses all the way from his wrist to elbow. “And I love every one of them.”

Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Sammy slammed the trunk shut and interrupted their moment. “Well, Claire and Emma are excited to see you two.”

“How was she?”

“Oh, she was great. Ten times better behaved than you are when you come over…”

“Haha,” Dean deadpanned. “Did we give you enough clothes? Snacks?”

“Seriously, she was great. Claire even taught Emma how to jump rope.”

They climbed into the backseat, unwilling to sit apart. “Did you feed her a bunch of salads?”

Sam snorted. “I’ll have you know, they ate a very balanced diet.”

“Claire likes salads,” Cas pointed out, squeezing Dean’s hand where they rested between them.

  
“The little traitor.”

The ride home was only forty minutes, and Sam spent the whole time talking about everything they did that week. By the time they got to Sam’s, they had gotten a full rundown of what Claire had done from the second she got picked up from school, to the moment she went to bed.

Sam had just pulled into his driveway when Claire threw their door open and stepped out onto the porch. Ignoring their bags, they got out of the car and headed her way.

“Daddy!” she screamed, barreling out of the house on socked feet. “Deedee!”

Cas dropped to his knees on the soft grass and intercepted her, pulling the little girl into a tight hug. “I missed you so much!”

Dean had never been a patient man, so rather than wait for his turn, he dropped to the grass and wrapped his arms around both of them. Claire giggled happily and hooked an arm around his neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek. They stayed like that until Dean’s knees started hurting and he had to stand. Once they were back on their feet, he gripped her under the armpit and lifted her with a grunt. At fifty-four pounds, she was almost too big to be picked up. He gave her a tight hug, and didn’t release her from his grip until she started struggling against him.

“How was your week?”

She squirmed in his arms and he set her down. “I don’t know, we played and stuff.”

Cas rolled his eyes. “You don’t know what you did all week? Didn’t you go anywhere?”

“I went to school.”

“And?” Dean prompted.

“I had ten super stars so the teacher let me pick a prize!”

“Thats awesome! Uncle Sam said you went to the museum. Did you like that?”

“There were lots of pretty pictures.”

Dean ruffled her hair. “Sounds fun, we’ll have to take you back sometime. Did you miss us?”

Cas walked ahead of them, greeting Jess with a hug and volunteering to hold little Alice.

“Yeah! I cried once because Emma took my Elsa doll, but then I was a big girl and didn't cry again. Alice cried all the time, though, but Uncle Sammy says that’s because she’s a baby and that’s what babies do. I tried to help, but Alice pulled my hair so I don’t want to play anymore.”

Dean nodded along with her story and pulled Jess into a hug.

“You’re staying for dinner, right?” she asked them. “I made lasagna.”

Dean sent a pleading look to Cas. The plan had been to pick Claire up then go home and grab some pizza for a quiet night in, but Dean loved lasagna and Cas knew it. One look at Dean, and Cas gave in. “Sure. We’d love to stay.”

Jess left to start setting the table, and finally, Cas passed Alice to him. He cradled the baby to his chest and rocked her back and forth. Her gray eyes blinked up at him, wide and confused. He offered her his finger, pleased when she grasped it and brought it to her mouth to suckle on. “She’s only three months old! How is she this big?”

Jess glanced up from where she was gathering utensils and eyed her husband. “I give you two guesses.”

“Samsquach…” Dean murmured under his breath.

“It’s the Winchester genes. You just produce big kids. You’d cry if I told you how big Alice’s head circumferences was…”

Dean shuddered. “That’s terrifying.”

“Are you and Cas planning on having another?”

Dean glanced behind him in search of Cas. His husband was standing next to Sam, flipping through his phone and showing him pictures from their cruise. “Uh, I haven’t brought it up yet.”

“Do you think he doesn’t want another kid?”

“I honestly have no idea.”

She linked her arm through his and pulled him into their kitchen. “I don’t think you have to worry, Dean. You’ve seen the way he is around Alice.”

Dean sighed and grabbed a stack of plates. “Yeah, I know… but what if it’s just baby fever? Wanting to hold a cute baby is way different from adopting one. You can’t hand it back if it starts crying.”

“You’re thinking too much. Having a conversation about having a child is not the same as making a decision. You don’t have to have a yes or no answer for him. Even just floating the question by him is enough. That way, he can think about it in a very low pressure way.”

He pulled her into a tight hug. “Why do you gotta be so smart?”

She chuckled and hugged him back.

Sam’s voice cut in from the living room. “Stop trying to steal my wife!”

Jess sighed against Dean’s chest. “Want to run away together?”

He scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure I can convince Cas to let you be our third…”

She pulled away and slapped him in the chest. “You’re horrible.”

“What did he say?” Cas asked, hooking his arm around Dean’s shoulder. “Nothing bad, I hope.”

“I’m offering to open up our marriage. What do you say?”

“For Jess? Of course.”

Emma interrupted them with a request for water, and the moment was broken. From his seat, Dean watched Cas as subtly as he could for the rest of dinner, watching the man eat lasagna and tell Sam and Jess all about their trip. Just as Jess said, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. The worst that would happen was Cas saying that he didn’t want another kid. Would it suck? Yes, but it wasn’t the end of the world. If it was a deal breaker, he would have brought it up long before they got engaged.

Later that night, finally home and able to sing to Claire and give her plenty of bedtime kisses, they were able to relax. On the couch, with a baking show playing and Cas’s head tucked into his shoulder, he imagined how things would be as a family of four. Claire would get less attention and he’d have to cut his hours, but he was sure they had enough love in their hearts to welcome another child into their family. His life as-is was good. Great, even. If Cas said no, Dean was sure he’d be content with his handsome husband and wonderful daughter. He smiled to himself and kissed Cas’s forehead as Paul Hollywood critiqued the eclairs. Yeah, perfectly content.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/163073738@N08/49456236047/in/dateposted/)

**Author's Note:**

> Oh, man...this was a fun one to write.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who comments on my fics, it really motivates me to write more!


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